Assessment of the suitability of elastomeric bearings modeling using the hyperelasticity and the finite element method

Abstract

The paper presents modeling of bridge elastomeric bearings using large deformation theory and hyperelastic constitutive relations. In this work, the simplest neo-Hookean model was compared with the Yeoh model. The parameters of the models were determined from the elastomer uniaxial tensile test and then verified with the results from experimental bearing compression tests. For verification, bearing compression tests were modeled and executed using the finite element method (FEM) in ABAQUS software. Additionally, the parameters of the constitutive models were determined using the inverse analysis method, for which the simulation results were as close as possible to those recorded during the experimental tests. The overall assessment of the suitability of elastomer bearings modeling with neo-Hookean and Yeoh hyperelasticity models is presented in detail.